THE HEREFORDSHIRE REGIMENT

Their First World War ‘Story’ – May 1916

The ‘Bigger’ Picture

The Home Front

- Second Military Service Bill extending compulsion to married men passes the British House of Commons - Air Board formed in Great Britain

- Collapse of Irish Rebellion—leaders surrender. Three Irish rebel leaders executed.

- British Summer Time was first established by the Summer Time Act 1916 - legal time to be one hour in advance of GMT.

Diplomatic

- British and French Governments conclude ‘Sykes-Picot’ agreement as to eventual partition of Asia Minor - Agreement signed at Berlin re employment of British and German prisoners of war - Agreement signed at London for transfer of British and German wounded and sick prisoners of war to Switzerland - Agreement concluded between Great Britain and France regarding respective claims in Turkish territories - United States Government send Note to British Government protesting against search of mails

The Western Front - Battle of Verdun continues Other Fronts

MESOPOTAMIAN FRONT

- Rowanduz (Northern Mesopotamia) occupied by Russian forces. - Khanaqin (North-East of Baghdad) taken by Russian forces. - Detachment of Cossacks from Russian force in West Persia effects junction with British army on the Tigris.

- Turkish Army evacuates the As Sinn position and withdraws to Kut

PERSIA

- Qasr-i-Shirin (Western Persia) occupied by Russian forces

- Kwash (East Persia) occupied by British forces

BALKANS

- Fort Rupel (Greek frontier of Macedonia) occupied by Bulgarian and German forces

- Serbian Government set up at Salonika

- Lt Gen Sir George Milne succeeds Lt Genl Sir Bryan Mahon as General Officer Commanding British Forces, Salonika

CAUCASUS FRONT

- Mamakhatun (Armenia) taken by Russian forces - Mamakhatun retaken by Turkish forces

EAST AFRICA

- British advance from Northern Rhodesia and Nyasaland across the frontier into German East Africa begins. - Neu Langenburg (German East Africa] occupied by British forces.

SUDAN

- Sultan of Darfur defeated by Sudan force in affair of Beringiya (Darfur); El Fasher (capital of Darfur) occupied by Sudan force

ARABIA

- Allied blockade of the Hejaz coast to assist revolt of Sherif of Mecca commenced

ITALY

- Austrian offensive in the Trentino begins

In the Air

- German airship L-20 returning from raid on Scotland, wrecked at Stavanger (Norway);

- German airship L-7 destroyed off the Slesvig coast.

- German airship LZ-85 brought down by British gunfire at Salonika.

At Sea

Battle of Jutland begins

The 31st May saw the opening moves of the Battle of Jutland – the most significant naval engagement, and the only clash of battleships of the war.

Germany's High Seas Fleet's intention was to lure out, trap and destroy a portion of the Royal Navy’s Grand Fleet. This was part of a greater plan to break the British blockade of Germany. Meanwhile, the Royal Navy’s intentions was to keep the German Navy away from Britain's own shipping lanes and if possible to engage and destroy it.

On the afternoon of 31 May, Beatty encountered Hipper's battlecruiser force long before the Germans had expected. In a running battle, Hipper successfully drew the British vanguard into the path of the High Seas Fleet. By the time Beatty sighted the larger force and turned back towards the British main fleet, he had lost two battlecruisers from a force of six battlecruisers and four battleships. The battleships, commanded by Rear-Admiral Sir Hugh Evan-Thomas, were the last to turn and formed a rearguard as Beatty withdrew, now drawing the German fleet in pursuit towards the main British positions. Between 18:30, when the sun was lowering on the western horizon, back-lighting the German forces, and nightfall at about 20:30, the two fleets – totalling 250 ships between them – directly engaged twice.

Fourteen British and eleven German ships were sunk, with great loss of life. After sunset, and throughout the night, Jellicoe manoeuvred to cut the Germans off from their base, hoping to continue the battle the next morning, but under the cover of darkness Scheer broke through the British light forces forming the rearguard of the Grand Fleet and returned to port.

Both sides claimed victory. The British lost more ships and twice as many sailors, and the British press criticised the Grand Fleet's failure to force a decisive outcome, but Scheer's plan of destroying a substantial portion of the British fleet also failed. The Germans' ‘fleet in being’ continued to pose a threat, requiring the British to keep their battleships concentrated in the North Sea, but the battle confirmed the German policy of avoiding all fleet-to-fleet contact.

At the end of the year, after further unsuccessful attempts to reduce the Royal Navy's numerical advantage, the German Navy turned its efforts and resources to unrestricted submarine warfare and the destruction of Allied and neutral shipping.

Start State

British German

Dreadnought 28 16

Pre-dreadnoughts 0 6

Battlecruisers 9 5

Armoured cruisers 8 0

Light cruisers 26 11

Destroyers 79 61

Seaplane carrier 1 0

Losses

British German

Dreadnought 0 0

Pre-dreadnoughts 0 1 Pommern

Battlecruisers 3 Indefatigable 1 Lutzow

Queen Mary

Invincible

Armoured cruisers 3 Black Prince 0

Warrior

Defence

Light cruisers 1 Tipperary 4 Frauenlob

Elbing

Rostock

Wiesbaden

Destroyers 7 Shark 5 V48

Sparrowhawk S35

Turbulent V27

Ardent V48

Fortune V29

Nomad

Nestor

Seaplane carrier 0 0

Men 6784 3039

NAVAL AVIATION

- First British aerial co-operation with fleet in action

MERCHANT SHIPPING

- British, Allied and Neutral ships lost to enemy submarines, mines and cruisers etc in the month - 64 ships of 127,000 tons gross.

The ‘Herefords’

Casualties

There were no reported casualties in May 1916, but the following announcement appeared in The

Hereford Times. Pte Elcox was a member of the Supernumerary Company and thus not serving with the

mainstream battalions.

Promotions

The following promotions were published in the Hereford Times:

0

50

100

150

200

250

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

Merchant Shipping Losses 1914-18 (,000 tons)

1914 1915 1916

Hereford

The Depot function continues with men enlisting, and reporting for service following registration under

the Derby Scheme.

Some of those enlisted were:

NAME INIT RANK NO1

LAMB THOMAS PTE 5697

ELLIS CHARLES PTE

PRICE REGINALD JOHN PTE

HEIGHWAY WILLIAM PTE 5669

WOOD ERNEST PTE 5654

POWELL HARRY PTE

DAVIES HENRY GEORGE PTE

BAKER SYDNEY PTE 1203

WOOD PERCY JOHN PTE

And some of those discharged: NAME INIT RANK NO1 Bn TERM HOMETOWN Notes

BALDWIN FRANK HAROLD PTE 444 1 TOFE M MARCLE Served Gallipoli

BANNER JOHN PTE 3831 XVI

BIRCHLEY WILLIAM ROBERT PTE 2768 XVI

BURTON GEORGE PTE 2622 XVI PETERSTOW

CARPENTER LEONARD PTE 715 1 TIMEX BRA ABBOTTS Served Gallipoli

COLLINS THOMAS PTE 8189 1 TOFE NEWBRIDGE Served Gallipoli

COOK GEORGE PTE 1498 1 ROSS Served Gallipoli

DOWLING BERTRAM SGT 556 1 XVI KINGTON Served Gallipoli

DUDLEY WILLIAM PTE 2985 Served Gallipoli

DUNN JAMES PTE 4619 UNFIT KINGSLAND

EVANS THOMAS PTE 2894 XVI HEREFORD

EVANS STANLEY GORDON PTE 3128 1 RELEASED ACI 301

BOSBURY Served Gallipoli

EVANS WALTER PTE 721 1 TIMEX ROSS Served Gallipoli

GAGG HAROLD 11 XVI HEREFORD

GATFIELD WILLIAM PTE 2314 XVI

GUNTER HAROLD THOMAS PTE 3017 UNDERAGE LUGWARDINE

HARRISON JESSE PTE 3336 XVI

HAWKESFORD HENRY PTE 3753 WEOBLEY

HODGES JAMES DAVID PTE 2678 XVI

JENNINGS THOMAS PTE 1087 1 TOFE PETERCHURCH Served Gallipoli

JONES WILLIAM PTE 1491 1 TIMEX LEOMINSTER Served Gallipoli

JONES SAMUEL PTE 2634

JORDAN WILLIAM PTE 1745 XVI ROSS

LAWRENCE WILLIAM LEWIS SGT 2558 XVI

LESTER THOMAS PTE 3513 XVI

LEWIS ERNEST PTE 3231 XVI CLIFTON ON TEME

LUCAS EDWARD THOMAS PTE/ACPL

418 1 TOFE LEOMINSTER Served Gallipoli

MACKLIN CHARLES PTE 99 1 TIMEX MADLEY Served Gallipoli

MAPP CHARLES HARRY PTE 1075 1 TIMEX PETERCHURCH Served Gallipoli

MATTHEWS HENRY PTE 698 1 DRYBROOK Served Gallipoli

MATTHEWS CHARLES PTE 1083 1 TOFE HEREFORD Served Gallipoli

MINTON MILSOM SAMUEL PETER

PTE 3135 XVI ROSS

MOORE ALLEN CLESSOLD LCPL 1378 XVI ROSS

PASSEY HERBERT REGINALD PTE 8263 XVI

POWELL CHARLES ALLAN PTE 719 1 TIMEX HEREFORD Served Gallipoli

PROSSER THOMAS PTE 2746 XVI MOCCAS

PULLEN THOMAS PTE 3035 XVI BROMYARD

ROBERTS ERNEST PTE 3278 XVI SHELLACK

ROBINSON ANDREW PTE 532 1 TOFE LEOMINSTER Served Gallipoli

STRANGWOOD LEONARD JAMES PTE 1543 1 STOKE PRIOR Served Gallipoli

THOMAS PETER PTE 2629 XVI ACONBURY

TUNLEY PERCY PTE 2932 XVI

UNDERWOOD WILFRED PTE 3325 XVI

Timex/ToE = Time expired/Terms of Enlistment (completion of terms of service)

xvi – unfit through either wounds or sickness

1st Battalion

The Battalion continued to recuperate and consolidate; men becoming fit in hospitals in Egypt and Malta

were being returned to duty and the Battalion received its second reinforcement draft from England.

The Battalion War Diary:

Date Location Detail

5 May 2Lt K L V Job and 4 men joined.

9 May Capt Ashton departed for England on 1 months leave.

13 May Lt Pilkington and 145 men joined from England and 9 men from hospital.

15 May First stage brigade rapid fire competition, best shooting company: D, Capt

Capel.

16 May Battalion training; temperature 124ºF in the shade.

17 May Temperature 124ºF in the shade. Three NCOs proceeded to England for 1

months furlough – re-engaged for duration of war.

19 May Six men joined Battalion from Sidi Bishr; cooler weather sets in.

20 May Holman proceeded to England for one months furlough – re-engaged for

duration of war. 2Lt Challis returned from hospital and was transferred to the

Machine Gun Corps. 2Lt Levason and Pilkington admitted to hospital.

23 May Brigade rapid fire competition; 1st Herefords win by 7 points.

25 May Battalion move to Wardan.

26 May Wardan 2Lt M C Bennett and 33 men transferred to Imperial Camel Corps.

2109 Pte Percy Pritchard

Maj ALB Green

4 May Lt Job joined up from Sidi Bishr

6 May Rode over to Deir Baramus with Rogers. Interesting and not so squalid as Amba Bishir.

One church fairly modern. Company at Bir Hooker relieved by 1/5 RWF.

7 May Spent all day making out mess accounts. Very hot and dry.

8 May General came round inspecting work of Battalion. Ashton sailed from Alexandria on

“Saxonia”.

9 May Battalion exercise; rather interesting attack. Advanced in thick fog on compass

bearing. Rather scared a bedouin caravan who were tracking. First day of new routine;

reveille at 0445, parade at 08- 0900.

10 May Order stopping leave came out. Awful bore as had intended applying next week end.

11 May Brigade Exercise. Reveille 4am. Moved off at 5 as advanced guard, was in command of

van. Fog wreaths made touch a bit difficult to keep. Got back to camp 0945.

12 May Awful hot wind . Temp 110 in shade. Unbearable in tents.

13 May Heat still continues. Pilkington and draft of 154 arrived.

14 May Had a bathe in morning and heat continues.

15 May First stage of Bde rapid firing competition. D Coy won with average of 15. Heat worse

than ever and sand storm in evening.

16 May Regimental route march and advanced guard action. Heat awful, had sand storm in

evening.

17 May Heat worse, 123 in shade.

18 May Brigade exercise – dull. Cooler but strong wind and dust very bad.

19 May Had to go to Khatatha as President of Board of Inquiry into drowning of man in 1/6

RWF. Tiring day as journey so tedious. Much cooler – thank goodness.

20 May Cool night at last. Have got leave from tomorrow until Tuesday.

21 May Went to Cairo with Rogers. Did the Zoo in afternoon and Kursaal in evening with Mr &

Mrs Burton, friends of R’s – quite nice. Met Caddick at Zoo; he says we are to move

this week.

22 May Had a very busy morning shopping. After lunch met Bailey in hotel. Drove round

bazaars with him in afternoon.

23 May Frantic rush in morning to finish shopping. Bailey lunched with us and saw us off at

1.40pm. Found on our return that 1/5 RWF are moving, 1/6 go tomorrow and we

follow on Thursday. We won Brigade rapid firing competition today.

24 May The 1/6 RWF moved out today and we spent most of the day getting ready to move

tomorrow. Pembroke Yeomanry came in to take over.

25 May Reveille at 4am, went with first train at 0630, getting to Wardan at 1400. 1/6 RWF

gave us lunch and tea. CO and I dined with them – very tired.

26 May Slack day after move. GP Lloyd and Russell rolled up from Sidi Bishr.

27 May CO went to Cairo on leave until tomorrow night. Orders cancelling move to canal

received. Battalion entrains for Zeitoun on Monday instead.

28 May Hot, made arrangements for move. All tents and heavy baggage to be sent to station

tonight.

29 May Moved out, train started at 1025pm arrived Zeitoun 2am. Marched 2 miles to camp.

Its in a perfectly awful state of dirt and disrepair. Very hot indeed.

30 May Spent all day getting things straight and making things comfortable; succeeded fairly

well.

31 May Continued the good work getting settled. Went into Cairo to get mess stores.

1606 Sgt Harry Colley

Two large drafts had now arrived from England, one under Captain (now major) Capel and the other under Captain ?. The latter draft comprised many men who had been invalided from Gallipoli the previous year. Towards the end of May we were relieved by the Yeomanry and travelled to a camp at Zeitoun, Heliopolis, Cairo. This was quite a glorious change for the men, and for the first time we were quartered in up-to-date huts. We were also fortunate in having hot and cold shower baths which were greatly taken advantage of by everyone from this camp. Everyone got leave daily to Cairo and went on excursions to the Pyramids and other marvellous places of interest. Everyone would have been quite content to remain at this camp for the duration, but such was not the luck of the Battalion for 3 weeks after our arrival there we were off again to a large camp at Moascar, near to Ismailia on the Suez canal.

2563 Pte Percy & 1357 Sgt Herbert Wilkins

May 1 Sunday church service for the Herefords.

2-3 The Herefords train.

4 Herefords usual Thursday exercise as advance guard.

5 The Herefords train.

6 Herbert & D Co rejoin HQ from Bir Hooker.

7 Sunday church service for the Herefords.

9 Herefords Battalion training.

11 158th Brigade exercise,the Herefords acting as advance guard.

14 Sunday church service for the Herefords.

15 Herberts Co win a rapid fire competition in the Brigade.

16 Herefords train in 124 deg in shade.

17 Herefords train in 124 deg in shade.

18 Herefords usual Thursday exercise.

19 Battalion training.

21 Sunday church service for the Herefords.

22 Percy with A Co move to Khatalba.

23 2nd Brigade rapid fire competition is won by the Herefords.

24 Battalion training.

25 The battalion return from Wadi Natrun to Wardan.

27 Percy & A Co return from Khatalba to Wardan.

28 The Herefords spend the day preparing to move.

29 The Battalion move to Zeitoun near Cairo & arrive at Heliopolis at 01.30.

30 Herbert & D Co are presented with the rapid fire trophy.

Imperial Camel Corps (ICC)

The Imperial Camel Corps Brigade was formed from existing troops under the command of Brigadier

General Clement Leslie Smith VC. It was designed to act as a cavalry unit using camels rather than horses,

this suited desert operations. Volunteers were called for from existing troops and many soldiers that had

experience of horses, or who had had enough of ‘foot slogging’ or were looking for ‘adventure’

volunteered, these included some from The Herefordshire Regiment including 2109 Pte Percy Pritchard.

The brigade originally comprised three battalions, 1st (Australian), 2nd (British), and 3rd (Australian), plus

supporting units. Each of the battalions had an authorised strength of 770 men and 922 camels. A

battalion comprised four companies and a headquarters. The 4th (ANZAC) Battalion was raised in May

1917, but instead of increasing the brigade fighting strength, it was decided one battalion would always

be resting and refitting, while three battalions served at the front.

Pte Percy Pritchard with the Imperial Camel Corps

Herefordshire Regimental soldiers pose for photographs by the Sphinx and Great Pyramids outside

Cairo.

The Regimental Welfare fund continued to send ‘comforts’ to the troops and the following appeared in

The Hereford Times:

2nd Battalion

The 2nd Bn remain part of 205 Bde, 68 Div as part of the UK Defence Force, based in Bedford and

undertaking routine training and defensive activities.

Lt Col Wood-Roe stood down and was suceeded by Lt Col Addie.

3rd Battalion

The 3rd Battalion, now known as The Reserve Battalion remained in Park Hall Camp Oswestry.

The concentration of men in close confines often led to epdemics; one such, of German Measles broke

out in Park Hall Camp in May 1916. This resulted in 4467 Pte J Lloyd spending 22 days in hospital.

R

Routine activities continued:

An unknown soldier of the Herefordshire Regiment – is he wearing a YMCA ‘flag’ next to

his capbadge?